Table Of ContentPreven ting Breast Cancer:
THE STORY OF A MAJOR, PROVEN,
PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF THIS DISEASE
John W. Gofman, M.D., Ph. D.
e — Our estimate is that about three-quarters of the «
current annual incidence of breast-cancer in the United
States is being caused by earlier ionizing radiation,
primarily from medical sources.
From Chapter 1
e — This edition includes an additional section,
"Response to Critiques of the First Edition.”
Section 5
Second Edition: 1996
C.N.R. Book Division
Committee for Nuclear Responsibility, Inc.
Post Office Box 421993
San Francisco, California 94142
U.S.A.
VINING LIBRARY
W.V.U, Institute of Technology
Montgomery, WV 25136
Preventing Breast Cancer ... 1996
This book uncovers the major cause of
the recent breast-cancer incidence in the
USA. The author shows that past exposure
to ionizing radiation --- primarily medical
X-rays —-~ 1s responsible for about 75
percent of the breast-cancer problem in the
United States.
The good news: Since the radiation
dosage given today by medical procedures
can be significantly reduced without
interfering with a single useful procedure,
numerous future cases of breast-cancer can
be PREVENTED.
The author recommends specific actions
to start breast-cancer prevention now, not
ten years from now.
Thanks to the talents and generous effort of David T. Ratcliffe, a
growing number of this book’s chapters (and various other works of the
author) are available on the Internet at:
http://www.ratical.com/radiation/CNR/
Preventing Breast Cancer:
THE STORY OF A MAJOR, PROVEN,
PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF THIS DISEASE
John W. Gofman, M.D., Ph. D.
Edited by Egan O’Connor
@ — Our estimate is that about three-quarters of the
current annual incidence of breast-cancer in the United
States is being caused by earlier ionizing radiation,
primarily from medical sources.
From Chapter 1
@ — This edition includes an additional section,
“Response to Critiques of the First Edition."
Section 5
Second Edition: 1996
C.N.R. Book Division
Committee for Nuclear Responsibility, Inc.
Post Office Box 421993
San Francisco, California 94142
U.S.A.
The HEIR-2 Report (1996)
The Committee for Nuclear Responsibility, Inc. (CNR) is a non-profit
educational group organized in 1971 to provide independent analyses of the
health effects and sources of ionizing radiation. Authors of CNR
publications speak for themselves alone and not for CNR’s entire Board,
whose members are known for their own independent thinking.
This study, PREVENTING BREAST CANCER, is the second one in
CNR’s series of reports, "Health Effects of Ionizing Radiation" (HEIR
Reports).
The previous report (1990) was RADIATION-INDUCED CANCER
FROM LOW-DOSE EXPOSURE: AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS, also
by Gofman. (See, for example, reviews in Choice, J anuary 1991; in the
New England Journal of Medicine, February 14, 1991; in the Bulletin of
the Atomic Scientists, January 1992; in the PSR Quarterly, March 1993.)
The third HEIR Report will be a study, covering both males and females,
of the causal role of medical radiation in the overall cancer problem --- not
in breast-cancer alone.
Research in this field is not commercially viable. Most radiation research,
analysis, and publications are sponsored by government grants. CNR
neither requests nor would accept any government funding. The low price
of the HEIR Reports is made possible by the foundations and individuals
who generously support these scholarly works, and by the refusal of the
author to accept royalties or payment of any other sort from CNR.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gofman, John W.
Preventing breast cancer : the story of a major, proven,
preventable cause of this disease / John W. Gofman ; edited by Egan
O’Connor. -~ 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Breast--Cancer--Prevention. 2. Radiation carcinogenesis-
-Prevention. I. O’Connor, Egan. II. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Breast Neoplasms--prevention & control. 2. Breast
Neoplasms--etiology. 3. Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced. WP 870
G612p 1996]
RC280.B8G64 1996
616.99°449052--dce20
DNLM/DLC
for Library of Congress 96-2453
—33>.0—0O0S=ooSSSeeeee
Committee for Nuclear Responsibility, San Francisco. Fax: 415-776-8299.
Manufactured in the United States of America, on acid-free paper.
Printing and binding by Consolidated Printers of Berkeley, California.
Preparation of text, tables, and figures on the Lotus 123 spreadsheet.
2nd edition, first printing.
ISBN 0 - 932682 - 96-0. LCCN 96-2453.
iv
PREVENTING BREAST-CANCER:
The Story: of a Major, Proven, Preventable Cause of This Disease.
John W. Gofman, M.D., Ph.D. 1996.
Section One — Introduction
Our Conclusion: A Large Share of Breast-Cancers Need Not Occur, p.1
"Incubation Times" for Radiation-Induced Cancer, p.7
Early-Onset Breast-Cancer: Evidence on Radiation-Induction, p.11
Three Key Concepts in Our Analysis, p.19
The Rationale of Our Study: Methods and Materials, p.29
Section Two — Stories of the Exposures in Our Master Table
6. The "Enlarged Thymus" Story: Start of a Long Controversy, p.37
7. Benefits of Thymus Irradiation: Delusion or Reality?, p.43
8. Thymus Irradiation before Age One: Start of Our Master Table, p.55
9. Thymus Irradiation to Reduce Sudden Death in Childhood, p.65
10. Thymus Irradiation before Anesthesia and Surgery in Childhood, p.75
11. Ending of the Era of Radiation Therapy for Enlarged Thymus, p.83
12. Reaching into the Womb: Pre-Birth Breast Irradiation, p.87
13. Treatment of Acute Postpartum Mastitis with X-Rays, p.91
14. A Physician’s Dilemma: What to Do about Chronic Mastitis, p.97
15. Management of Tuberculosis: An Eminently Sensible Program, p.105
16. Mass Screening for Tuberculosis, p.111
17. Treatment of Bronchial Asthma with X-Rays, p.113
18. Treatment of Pneumococcal Pneumonia with X-Rays, p.117
19. Treatment of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) with X-Rays, p.121
20. Treatment of Hyper-Thyroidism and Breast Irradiation, p.125
21. Management of Adolescent Scoliosis (Curvature of the Spine), p.133
22. Chiropractic Examinations and Breast Irradiation, p.139
23. Major Diagnostic Radiological Contributions to Breast Dose, p.143
24. Occupational Sources of Breast Irradiation, p.155
25. Weapons-Test Fallout, Pre-1960, and Breast Dose, p.161
Section Three — Stories of Exposures Not in Our Master Table
26. The Beauty Shop as a Source of Breast Irradiation, p.163
27. Yes, We Do Have Your Size: Shoe-Fitters and Breast Irradiation, p.165
28. Mammography: Past and Present, p.171
29. Major Surgical Advances and Irradiation of the Breast, p.183
30. Pre-Employment Fluoroscopic Exams for Pulmonary Tuberculosis, p.189
31. Fluoroscopy: Source of a Big Underestimate in Our Breast-Dose Finding, p.193
32. Hard-to-Find Doses from Fluoroscopy and Other Sources, p.207
33. Dermatology: More Underestimation in Our Finding, p.219
34. Treatment of Skin Disorders: Overview by Dr. MacKee, p.227
35. Breast-Exposure by Radium: More Underestimation in Our Finding, p.235
36. Radiotherapy of Benign Diseases: Overview by Dr. Dewing, p.243
37. Recent Concerns: Intensive Care Units, Insurance Cases, p.255
38. Summary on Underestimation of Dose in Our Study, p.261
Section Four — Our Finding and Recommendations for Action
See next page, please.
- Section Five - Response to Critiques of the First Edition
See next page, please.
Back-matter
See next page, please.
ps od is oy eae eaerere vee
PREVENTING BREAST CANCER, SECOND EDITION
Table of Contents, Continued
Section Four - Our Finding and Recommendations for Action
39. Bottom Line: The Master Table, p.265
40. Conversion-Factors: The Basis of Column "V", p.273
41. Some of the Uncertainties and Certainties of Our Finding, p.285
42. Prevention of Breast-Cancer, Starting NOW, p.291
Section Five — Response to Critiques of the First Edition
43. The Process of Genuine Peer-Review, p.301
44. Criticisms in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., p.309
45. Three Remarkably Similar Reports on the Safe-Dose Fallacy, p.317
46. "War in Britain": The Natl. Radiological Protection Board, p.329
47. Seven Short Objections from Other Sources, p.345
48. Susan M. Love, M.D.: Is Radiation Overdosing a PAST Problem? p.353
49. What Happens Next? p.373
Table 1, Annual Breast-Cancer Cases in USA, 1960-1994, p.377
Table 2, Growth of Population in USA, 1850-1994, p.378
Author: Biographical Information and Curriculum Vitae, p:3/9
References, p.383
Index and Glossary, p.403
Vi
Preface and Acknowledgments
Writing this book has been a happy task. It deals with a
very serious problem, with a very happy ending. It would be hard to
think of anything more rewarding for this effort than the knowledge that
we can begin the task of breast-cancer prevention --- now.
People have often asked me to write a book which has no numbers,
no mathematics, no symbols, no equations. I appreciate their fear that they
will not understand. We, who have worked on the preparation of this book,
think that anyone can understand the fascinating past history of 100 years of
the x-ray in the production of breast-cancer.
Simply accept "numbers" the first time through. The story will tell
itself that way. And then come back, if you are so inclined, to challenge all
the numbers. The numbers are your insurance that this story has real legs.
Three people have made exceedingly large contributions to the book.
Many improvements in the writing come from them. Professor Helen
Gofman patiently brought the perspective of a pediatrician and a general
physician as she meticulously went through the manuscript to tell me where
it would not be understood without changes.
Egan O’Connor, our Editor of CNR Books, not only put a rough
manuscript into the English language, but provided a clear, cool, critical
head in challenging everything placed before her.
John David Gofman, M.D., my son, volunteered to "look the
manuscript over," and indeed he did. All the pages, and all the lines.
His insights, his advice, his knowledge made a very large difference in
the final book which evolved through his and Egan’s critical comments and
contributions to ideas and style.
Lastly, there is one special place in my heart, for an assist which
' was absolutely essential. That place is occupied by the superb library of
our medical school at the University of California in San Francisco. What a
treasure —-- a collection so rich as to make the trip back through 100 years
of medicine an easy one. And the cooperation of the librarians was superb.
This is the beginning of an effort to prevent cancer in one effective
manner. Most of the methodology will be applicable for an effort with
cancers other than those of the breast. Indeed, we hope other investigators
will make their own studies using such methods as are presented. For the
inevitable errors and unclear passages, I take all the credit. We shall try to
improve later editions as we learn of such flaws.
John W. Gofman, M.D., Ph.D.
San Francisco, California
Spring 1995.
Spring 1996: This edition benefits by the addition of Section 5 (and its associated
references). Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the same in the first and second editions.
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In-print books by this author on related topics:
1981, Radiation and Human Health.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number
80-26484. ISBN 0-87156-275-8.
1985, X-Rays: Health Effects of Common Exams (with O’Connor).
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number
84-23527. ISBN 0-87156-838-1.
1990, Radiation-Induced Cancer from Low-Dose Exposure: An
Independent Analysis (HEIR-1 Report).
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number
89-62431. ISBN 0-932682-89-8.
Several chapters of this book are on the
Internet at: http://www.ratical.com/radiation/CNR/
1994, Chernobyl Accident: Radiation Consequences for This and
Future Generations (Russian-language).
ISBN 5-339-00869-X.
Information about the author is located at pp.379-381.
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Preview:
Another book (the HEIR-3 Report) is in preparation by this author, for
publication probably in 1996 or maybe early 1997. The HEIR-3 Report
explores the hypothesis that earlier medical irradiation has caused not only
most cases of breast-cancer, but also a large share of the cases of other
cancers, in both men and women. The ISBN is 0-932682-97-9, from
the Committee for Nuclear Responsibility Books.
HHH
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